'Tis the season for popular entertainers/musicians to be dying, I suppose. LeRoi Moore, who has been with Dave Matthews Band since their formation in 1991, died in a Los Angeles hospital earlier today. Say what you will about Dave Matthews, but the band's mix of Soweto beats, jazz, and jam-band aesthetics has proven to have massive, worldwide appeal, and this is sad, untimely news.
Moore was injured in an ATV wreck in Charlottsville, Virginia back in June, which resulted in a collapsed lung and several broken ribs. While he had been repeatedly re-hospitalized due to complications, the death was still unexpected. The following statement was posted on DMB's website:
We are deeply saddened that LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band, died unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon, August 19, 2008, at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles from sudden complications stemming from his June ATV accident on his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia. LeRoi had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin an intensive physical rehabilitation program.
We wish our deepest condolences to the band and Moore's family.
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As much as I couldn't stand the band (not due to the band itself, but the the cult of fans that surrounded me in college earlier this decade) I liked the attitude and "everybody-is-welcomed-to-the-party" vibe. I also liked a good amount of their songs so I'm not that much of a hater. I'll always associate their sound with my college years.
I hope the band pulls through and my condolences to Moore's family.